Publisher's Synopsis
The 'Battle of the Bulge' was the last major German offensive in the West. Three armies attacked through the Ardennes, the weakest point in the American lines. Hitler gambled everything in the hope that the residual strength of the German army would not only force a breakthrough, but would also split the Allied coalition in two. James Arnold describes the planning of the attack and the course of events, including the defense of Bastogne and the heroic delaying actions fought by GIs supposedly in a 'quiet' sector of the front.
The 'Battle of the Bulge' was the last major German offensive in the West. Three armies attacked through the Ardennes, the weakest point in the American lines. In spite of its ultimate failure, the Battle of the Bulge did have an important effect on the War and its aftermath: it slowed the Allies down, resulting in more territory being ceded to the Russian sphere of influence at the War's end. James Arnold describes the planning of the attack and the course of events, including the defense of Bastogne and the heroic delaying actions fought by GIs supposedly in a 'quiet' sector of the front.
Hitler gambled everything in the hope that the residual strength of the German army would not only force a breakthrough, but would also split the Allied coalition in two. Although the Wehrmacht never even came close to achieving the former of these goals, the danger posed by their attack did cause high-level political and strategic battles that shook, and nearly shattered, the Allied high command. This book shows the effects of the German advantage of surprise, in spite of the fact that Allied intelligence had picked up clues that an offensive was to be mounted, and also shows the deficiency of GIs in the quality of their equipment and men. Despite these disadvantages, Hitler's offensive was stopped. This book explains exactly how Germany's last hopes of victory were put to rest.
